1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image capturing apparatus having a display mode for not displaying a captured image on an image display unit during a standby state before a photograph is taken.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional image capturing apparatus such as a digital camera is capable of continuously displaying an image signal from an image sensor on a liquid crystal display (LCD) or the like during a standby state before a photograph is taken. Therefore, a user performs framing while confirming a field angle displayed on the LCD and can press a shutter button at a desired field angle and a timing.
Meanwhile, when the user presses the shutter button, a photographing processing is performed after an automatic focus (AF) processing, an automatic exposure (AE) processing, an automatic white balance (AWB) processing, an electronic flash pre-emission (EF) processing, and the like. Therefore, there is a time lag from the timing at which the user actually desires to take a photograph. Accordingly, there may be considered a method for shortening a time required for the AF processing which is performed after the shutter button is pressed down, wherein a certain degree of focusing is performed by continuously performing the AF processing during the standby state before photographing.
In the case of continuously performing the AF processing in the standby state before photographing, it is necessary to take a countermeasure against significant disturbance of a captured image displayed on the LCD. An image capturing apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32521 does not perform update of an LDC display when a focus evaluation value is low to prevent the defocused image from being viewed by a user. Also, as another countermeasure, there has been known a method wherein an image capturing apparatus restricts an operation speed and a range of a focus lens. In the case of restricting the operation speed and the range of the focus lens, the time required for performing the AF processing which is performed after the shutter button is pressed down is not usually shortened since it is difficult to continuously maintain a perfect focus.
Therefore, a camera is known which has a function of shortening the time required for the AF processing after the shutter button is pressed down. In this camera, the LCD display is not performed during the standby state before photographing and focusing is continuously maintained without restricting the operation speed and the range of the focus lens. This function is referred to as “quick photographing”, and a mode for performing the quick photographing is referred to as “quick photographing mode”. In the case of taking a photograph by the quick photographing mode, a user mainly uses an optical view finder for performing framing since an image signal from the image sensor is not displayed on the LCD.
As described above, the user performs the framing by mainly using the optical view finder in the quick photographing mode. Therefore, there is a problem that the user cannot confirm information such as face information detected by the camera and a focus position, that has conventionally been obtained from a captured image displayed on the LCD.
In view of the above-described problems, the present invention enables a user to recognize an image capture state of an object even if a mode of continuously displaying an image on an image display unit is not selected.